Better services promised through new two-year transformation project

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People in South Ayrshire are being promised that public services will be transformed by the end of a new two-year investment programme, which has been approved by the Council. The £1.9 million project is part of wider plans to develop digital technologies that will help to modernise the way the Council works with communities.

The Transform South Ayrshire programme will work across every Council service area to take forward improvement projects like: improving digital technologies, encouraging greater use of online services, improving the external and internal websites, updating outdated ICT, and reducing the use of paper.

To achieve the change £1.9 million has been allocated from the Council's General Reserves as part of its Transformational Change Programme. The investment will pave the way for modern systems to be put in place to help change working practice across the Council.

Councillor Bill McIntosh, Leader of South Ayrshire Council, said he expected the project to deliver real benefits, "By giving people the option of contacting the council from the comfort of their own home or on the move via mobile we want to make getting in touch as easy as possible.

"By investing in technology we will be able to provide better online services, improve the way we work, reducing waste, save money, while also complementing the traditional face-to-face ways of contacting the council.

"The focus on changing the way we work is already delivering savings to the public, and this latest development is the next step on the journey to transform services for South Ayrshire."

The work will have practical benefits including a far greater range of services being made available from home via the Council website; a focus on developing mobile technologies that will, among other things, allow social workers to operate remotely rather than being tied to an office IT system, freeing up time to spend in their community; and new systems will allow parents to pay for school meals online rather than topping up cards with cash.

The move comes after the Council's recent Best Value Report, completed by Audit Scotland highlighted sustained and positive improvement and progress in the Council over the last 28 months alongside a clear improvement culture across the organisation.